For other battles in the area, see Battle of Basra.
Battle of the Camel
Part of the First Fitna
Ali and Aisha at the Battle of the Camel
Date
8 December 656 CE (15 Jumada I 36 AH)
Location
Basra, Iraq
Result
Victory for Ali
Belligerents
Forces of Ali
Banu Hashim
Tribesmen of Kufa
Banu Abdul Qays and Banu Bakr of Basra[1]
Tayy[2]
Jats[3]
Forces of Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr
Banu Umayya
Quraysh of Mecca[4]
Sections of the Banu Tamim and Azd of Basra[5]
Banu Amir[6]
Commanders and leaders
Ali ibn Abi Talib Hasan ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali Malik al-Ashtar Ammar ibn Yasir Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr Abu Qatadah ibn Rab'i al-Ansari Jabir ibn Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah Abu Ayyub al-Ansari Qays ibn Sa'd Abd Allah ibn Abbas Khuzaima ibn Thabit Jundab al-Azdi Ali ibn Danūr
Aisha Talha † Zubayr ibn al-Awwam † Muhammad ibn Talha † Ka'b ibn Sur † Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr Marwan I (POW) Abd Allah ibn Safwan Yahya ibn al-Hakam (WIA) Utba ibn Abi Sufyan Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi Abdul-Rahman ibn Attab ibn Asid †
Strength
~10,000
~10,000
Casualties and losses
>400 – 500
>2,500
v
t
e
First Fitna
The Camel
Siffin
Nahrawan
Busr's campaigns
Syria campaign
v
t
e
Civil wars of the early Caliphates
Ridda Wars
First Fitna
Second Fitna
Revolt of Ibn al-Ash'ath
Revolt of al-Ashdaq
Revolt of Yazid b. al-Muhallab
Revolt of Harith b. Surayj
Revolt of Zayd b. Ali
Berber Revolt
Revolt of Yahya ibn Zayd
Third Fitna
Ibadi revolt
Abbasid Revolution
Revolt of Muhammad the Pure Soul
Battle of Fakhkh
Qays–Yaman war (793–796)
Fourth Fitna
Revolt of Abu'l-Saraya
East Africa
Bashmurian revolts
Anarchy at Samarra
Fifth Fitna
Kharijite Rebellion (866–896)
Zanj Rebellion
The Battle of the Camel (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة اَلْجَمَلِ, romanized: Maʿrakat al-Jamal) took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the army of the fourth caliph Ali (r. 656–661), on one side, and the rebel army led by Aisha, Talha and Zubayr, on the other side. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Aisha was a widow of Muhammad, of whom Talha and Zubayr were both prominent companions. Ali emerged victorious from the battle, Talha and Zubayr were both killed, and Aisha was sent back to Hejaz afterward. The triumvirate had revolted against Ali ostensibly to avenge the assassination of the third caliph Uthman (r. 644–656), although Aisha and Talha are both known to have actively opposed him. The three also called for the removal of Ali from office and for a Qurayshite council (shura) with Talha and Zubayr to appoint his successor.
^Madelung 1997, p. 168.
^Madelung 1997, p. 166.
^MacLean 1989, p. 126.
^Madelung 1997, pp. 176–7.
^Madelung 1997, pp. 167–8.
^Crone 2003, p. 108.
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